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You spend a year pouring your heart, soul, experience, time and effort into putting an opportunity together that can truly help thousands of people. I’m talking about 1000’s of business owners that have been sweating bullets trying to keep the doors open, keep cash flow fluid, ride out the waves of this economic wave… and then someone comes along and decides to vent out and throw darts at your well intended efforts!

Controversy abounds. The media feeds on it. That being said- it’s funny how some people just need to nit pick and pin point only because they are too lazy to take a look at themselves as being part of the bigger problem! It’s easier to cast stones than fill the sink hole.

So… what controversy am I talking about here? There are rumors starting about the Marketing Made Easy Home Study Course I developed for the Woman Entrepreneur being a slap in the face to ladies around the globe. The contrarians out there who are spreading the goo.. maybe they feel a little threatened? Could be. Chances are, they just like to find fault in others.

Here’s what one post says:

San Diego, CA. Jan 22, 2010 – People are saying Marketing Made Easy for the Woman Entrepreneur by best selling author and sales coach Debbra Sweet is like Marketing for Dummies. Can marketing really be made easy and did she dummy down for women?

FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE

PR Log (Press Release) – Jan 22, 2010 – There is some unintended controversy of the “Marketing Made Easy for the Woman Entrepreneur” home study course title.

When asked if Debbra Sweet thinks women in business are dummies she is quoted as saying, “Please don’t get me wrong, I feel women are just as smart as men when it comes to learning new marketing skills. The title of my new home study course for women is meant to imply that the vastness of marketing a woman owned business has been distilled down into easy to do steps designed just for the woman entrepreneur.”

“Marketing Made Easy for the Woman Entrepreneur has nothing to do with marketing for dummies. It does not imply that sales and marketing coaching for women needs to be dummied down,” says marketing book author Debbra Sweet.

What is does mean is that for most people the subject of marketing is anything but easy. Marketing Made Easy for the Woman Entrepreneur home study course makes marketing simple for the woman business owner because of how it is presented in a step by step manner of what works best for a woman owned business.

Maybe a better title could be Marketing Made Simple. Visit the site and decide for yourself.

On her website, Debbra Sweet is also giving away a free sales coaching Marketing Made Easy Audio CD full of marketing tips, tricks and secrets designed just for the women entrepreneur. You can get one for yourself for free while supplies last. So hurry over to her Marketing Made Easy website and get your free marketing CD before she runs out!

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Marketing Made Easy Home Study Course for Women

So… what do you think? I have set aside hundreds of hours and truly poured my heart into designing a learning program that is power packed with things you can learn today- and use today- to get results today.

Am I talking down? Not a chance. Did I simplify the process of learning and doing? You bet. Will this really help others? Absolutely. Will it help you? Only if you use it. 🙂

God is AWESOME! What an amazing day working by revelation. Love it. HE does not make trials and tribulations easy to always weather the storm, but when you are patient, keep your eyes focused on HIM with complete TRUST- then you can see what is from HIM and take action on it. It’s our choice to get out of our own way of being a victim. HE provides the path, it’s up to us to choose to take action on it! 🙂

It feels great to know I have been making choices and taking action on opportunities HE lined up- and the best part is I get to help others all along the way.

It’s always exciting to hear testimonials and feedback from people I work with who learn, apply what they’ve learned from me and then get great results. Many of my clients already this year are sharing with me their success stories!

Here’s a quick insight on why part of my focus this next year is to help Women Entrepreneur’s grow their businesses profitably.

PR Log (Press Release) – Jan 10, 2010 – Women Entrepreneurs’are learning how to concentrate their marketing efforts on small but specific and well defined segments of the population in order to grow their business profitably. This well defined approach to marketing is known as Niche Marketing. Niches are ‘created’ by identifying needs, wants, and requirements that are being addressed poorly or not at all by other businesses in a specific profession. Savvy women entrepreneurs’ are recognizing the opportunity to create their own niches and deliver their goods or services to satisfy them.

In October the Center for Women’s Business Research published the first ever study on the economic impact of women business owners in the US. Their results show that Women Business Owners Contribute a Total Economic Impact of $3 Trillion! However, as it stands, the financial rewards of entrepreneurship are lagging for women business owners. Apparently the independence of women entrepreneurs comes at a big price. The benefits of entrepreneurship are driving more women than ever into self-employment, yet the financial rewards necessary to make this trend stick, still elude most women business owners.

This disparity of the quantity of women entrepreneurs’ and the income the average business woman earns from her company has been shown to be related to a lack of educational resources available to help her take her passion and turn it into a profitable business. The need to increase women entrepreneurs’ access to peers, mentors, resources, feedback, information and guidance about the business of running a business was part of the driving force behind the development of the Marketing Made Easy ™ Home Study Course for the Woman Entrepreneur.

Sweet Marketing Solutions founder Debbra Sweet, a woman entrepreneur herself, is revolutionizing the way that women business owners learn effective niche marketing. Sweet understands the power of a strong system for learning how to find the right niche to grow a business. Her reputation as a results oriented leader that implements proven systems is showcased throughout the structure of her Marketing Made Easy ™ Home Study Course.

She took her hands on successes helping businesses nationwide as a marketing consultant and trainer reach growth goals and has wrapped them into a succinct, easy to use educational tool designed to educate business owners on results oriented marketing. Sweet has created a street smart, hands on, affordable program to help today’s business owners learn how to market their own business effectively. Inside her training program, not only does the entrepreneur learn about developing their niche markets, they have a hands on approach and training support system to see how marketing ties into every element of their business model. This integrated educational is one of the key cornerstones to success in her program.

The Marketing Made Easy™ Home Study Course for the Woman Entrepreneur trains the professional how to strategically plan marketing, identify the niches they best support and then introduces the user to low cost, automated, highly effective marketing tools that consistently achieve results. Sweet also brings fresh, out of the box, creative ideas to other women business owners in her program to help them achieve their business growth goals.

Sweet shares: “The weekly home study course curriculum is powerful and when applied, the woman entrepreneur will be able to develop effective marketing to help grow her company sooner rather than later. This program and training support shortens the learning cycle and give her low cost marketing tools, ideas and understanding of what to do and what not to do for growing her business. This hands on training and learning approach is the way the most successful entrepreneurs of all time have achieved their elevated level of recognition: combining proven methods, strategies, self development, an ongoing desire for learning and the mastermind approach to success. We do not want to leave our female entrepreneurs’ success to chance.”

Sweet is so passionate about the results that she has been helping women entrepreneurs achieve- that she has put together a complimentary video that reveals the number one reason that prevents most women from really achieving success in her business. Sweet shares this information at http://www.MarketingMadeEasyWomanEntrepreneur.com/ to give women entrepreneurs a jump start on growing their business successfully

We all have a chance and a choice to help each other. For the female neighbor or friend you know who has been complaining that she’s frustrated, overwhelmed or simply not getting the results she wants and needs from her marketing of her business- this is a great resource to share.

Thanks for your support! Let’s come together, support one another to make this a GREAT year for everyone.

If you’re ready to start with a current event/cause related marketing approach, rest assured that this type of marketing can be done with tact and can be well received. There may be people that will take advantage of other peoples hardships- but most cause related campaigns, if done right, will help to position your business as a trusted resource for years to come.

You can support the people in your community with campaigns that you sponsor yourself, or, you could find other businesses in the area to do a joint effort. This can be very powerful if you choose your promotional partners wisely. Complimentary businesses can go into a marketing campaign together thus increasing their reach, enriching the offer and reducing expenses. If your product directly will support the rebuilding of peoples homes and lives to normalcy, this is the time to step forward and come together with others that can co-promote the cause.

An event can be organized to raise funds, have a class room or seminar style approach to educating locals in the community on how the sponsors of the event can help them rebuild- or you could simply be proactive in a direct campaign to those in need. There are many uniquely targeted marketing offers you can use to promote your message once you decide to be proactive in a timely way. A simple gesture like donating useful daily items can go a long way. There are many available that you can present with your company’s logo and brand in a tactful manner. These can become new personal favorites of the recipient and you make it easy for them to remember you for years to come.

If you want to understand more – or would like specific ideas that can help out our community with effective, caused based marketing, email or call us at 760-597-2790.

If you would like a private marketing advisory session to get ideas to help you through the months ahead, I’m offering a ½ hour freecall to you. Just mention this article when you schedule your appointment.

Most importantly, may you be safe and healthy and may you stand strong through the upcoming year.

Now that you have a look at some marketing basics, its one thing to be proactive in normal business circumstances, but what do you to when disaster strikes?

If you’ve made the choice to be proactive and protect your business when difficult times arise, here’s insight into how you’ll be helping others while taking care of yourself.

When a disaster hits a community, such as the yearly fires, floods, earthquakes and snowstorms that occur, there will be hardship and there will be people in need of your products and services. Effective and timely marketing of your business to those people will help alleviate their stress and ease their recovery. There is marketing opportunity to position yourself and your company as a resource to those in need. The most important elements are: the way you present your marketing message that will help solve their problems or fulfill needs, and the timeliness. You can use a variety of advertising outlets to get your message to them quickly.

By extending your services to people in your community with a caused based marketing approach, combined with a special promotion in a time of need, you will gain clients who will be grateful for your efforts. With continual marketing to them, over time, you will find that you gained a loyal client because you cared enough to offer help in their time of need. The promotion element makes it easier for them to buy from you.

Regarding promotions, you’ve seen examples of successful approaches for years. There’s the ‘holiday sale’, the ‘year end blow out’, the annual ‘January White Sale” – and so much more. You’ve seen purchase incentives such as: buy one, get one free; 10% off and even a purchase incentive of ‘proceeds go to a favorite charity”. These elements of promotions address one area: motivation and incentive to use your service now.

Know that seasonal ‘disasters occur could actually be the reason for you to reach out to the community. This is the time where creative marketing strategy, combined with a timely event related offer of your service or product can be tied into a recent current event or disaster. Be creative here- the more original you are, the easier it is for people to remember you. One of the big keys here is preparation. The second is sensitivity. If you use a traditional promotional approach for an offer- be attentive to how y0u present it.

No one wants fires, earthquakes, floods, snowstorms. The reality is, they happen. Your goal here is to be able to offer value based products or services when disaster strikes. If you have been marketing this way prior to a disaster occurring, your company should already have some visibility and credibility. People will be more apt to purchase from you when disaster strikes if you are able to act quick on your feet and respond to the opportunity to help others quickly.

Provide solutions in time of need

You might have a specialty product or service that will benefit many. If you have the solution that others need, it’s in everyone’s best interest for you to actually promote your service. If you were a victim of the disaster, this is even more important if your business is your only livelihood. During difficult times, people have many more choices to make. You can support them by making their choices easier. Help them to find you and let your services and products solve their problems-and the return for you will give you the means to help solve your needs.

Visit again to read part three: where to start for this type of marketing.

Start with the basics
First, understand what marketing is. Marketing is very big, very broad and is involved in every element of your business. It’s what you do from the time you say hello to someone to the next time you say hello to them. It’s how you present your business to the consumer. Marketing encompasses ideas, concepts and strategic thought behind the decisions you make when you present your company’s services to the public.

Advertising and promotions sit under the umbrella of marketing. Advertising deals with the media outlets (what methods) you use to announce your marketing ideas and specific actions. Promotions are the ‘event’, the reason or incentives offered to encourage people to buy from you.

Second, understand that effective marketing involves many factors. One of which is timing. Having the right message at the right time to the right end user is a key factor for marketing success.

Third, consistency is most important! Rarely is a one time marketing campaign ever effective. (They can be- but usually they are the exception and not the norm). For the short term and the long haul, the more consistent you are able to stay in contact with those who are your clients- and those who you want to be- your campaign has an increased chance at success.

Next, it’s important to know that when times get tough, the most successful businesses actually market more and not less. Why is that? Every day we are bombarded with an abundance of media input all of which are vying for the same amount of conscious consumer attention. If you want to be heard, you need to have repetitive exposure, otherwise, your message will quickly get lost in the sea of competing marketing messages. If you know you are going to enter in to a potentially challenging time in your business, make your targeted message heard and make it often.

Last, know that there are many marketing strategies and opportunities available to help others while you help your own business.

Great Ideas Start With You

Leaders in business understand that they cannot afford to wait around until things happen. They are the ones to make things happen. Leaders in business take a consistent, proactive approach to helping others by growing their business. This proactive approach is beneficial in good times and when disaster strikes.

Today marks the first day of a new decade for many people. There are those who have already written down goals for the next year, have made New Years Resolutions and there’s a good chance that some people have already started the fade away from their new vision for this year.

Personally, I embraced the idea of goal setting when I was very young. I am not really sure where my understanding of that came from. I just simply did it. I used to keep a note book with short term, mid -range and long term goals. Basically, in my youth, I was just making a list of things I wanted to do. Thankfully, I recognized that in doing this action, I often accomplished what I wrote down. In fact, there was always a sweet, pleasurable reward in scratching off one of the things on my list.

Fast forward and if I were to show you my ‘list’- you would be suprised. It’s pretty darn extensive. The cool thing is, the system still works. I can’t begin to tell you how many people ask me “How do you do it?” They are referencing the fine balancing act of responsibilities that I hold- and the fruitfulness of what I choose to invest my time, effort and energy with.

Part of my ‘secret’, I’ve just shared. It starts with my list. Still follow the short term, mid-range and long term goals. Only now, they are more specific and very strategic.

The closing of 2009 was for me, much needed. It was a year of intense creative productivity. (I wrote 2 books along with developing a Marketing Home Study Course for Entrepreneurs.) This, in addition to caring for my family, traveling a bit to speak, reorganizing our business structure and continuing to tend to my clients. 2009 wasn’t very easy for many reasons. I am looking forward to 2010.

In 2010, I plan on achieving some big goals. The stage has been set for a ‘come back’ of sorts. Back in Feb of 2008 I particpated in an evening called “Come as you will be in 2013”. It was a pretty trippy night. Those of us attending this evening were implementing a success strategy that is shared in Jack Canfield’s book called “Success Principles”. It was a bold thing to do- and for me, initially, it put me in an uncomfortable zone.

As a leader, when you realize that part of growth means that you are willing to do things others won’t- I allowed my self to fully engage and participate in that evening. It meant role playing out my life as it will be in 2013. Talk about planning!! I give kudos to the other people who were there that evening. We all jumped in and completely embraced the night.

So-what does that have to do with 2010 and my Big Fat Juicy? A lot. Since that night, many of the things that I role played out actually have happened! Very quickly I might add. One of my ‘accomplishments’ in 2010 was to have travelled to Australia and New Zealand for 2 weeks with my family – and get paid to do so. The motive to go is that I will be speaking on marketing and leadership, and it will allow me to also do something I really enjoy: travel and learning about other people and cultures.

Yesterday I got specific in my goals for this year- and identified the time of year we will be going. Now all I need is the speaking gig. By putting this out to the world, I am taking one more action to make this come to pass. I also have it on the 2010 goals list to get paid to speak on a cruise trip to Alaska. Again, 7-10 days, the time of year is between May and Sept. The family is to come along. Since it’s now 2010, more details in the plan are needed to make this goal happen. They’re written down, and I’ve been taking action to make this come to pass.

So what’s the Big Fat Juicy in all this? The Big Fat Juicy is a phrase I coined a few years back referencing the accomplishment of achieving one of the ‘biggest, fattest, juiciest referrals that would bring a substantial amount of business to you. It would be very cool to have my Big Fat Juicy of the speaking gigs come as referrals.

My Big Fat Juicy has many parts. In fact, I have many Big Fat Juicy’s that are leading to the fulfillment of one of my biggest, long term, personal and professional goals. It has to do with creating the wealth and resources it will take to be able to teach others how to truly manifest abundance in their life.

So now I’m going to be even more bold and share a few more of my 2010 goals. In them, you may perceive a person who is passionate. You may see a person with a mission in life. You may decide I’m a bit competitive. Others may think I am very intense and focused. Personally, it’s a bit of all of the above. I made a choice to have a life that has no regrets- at least there will be no regrets from not giving myself the chance to accomplish my dreams. (Part of my personal life’s purpose is to help others achieve theirs.)

Time to share and walk forth boldy:

With that, here’s mine:
1. To make 2010 the most profitable year to date. (yes, I do have the specifics written down in my business/marketing plan this year.)
2. Want to help 50 new clients a month achieve their business goals this year through teaching them effective marketing for their business.
3. Get paid to speak on leadership or marketing in Australia/New Zealand in Sept 2010. Want to take a two week trip with the family and get paid for it
4. Duplicate #3- only do a 10 day cruise to Alaska in June 2010.
5. Wanted to loose 10 lbs last year. Lost 33. Goal this year: 5 more to go, and continue to keep it off with exercise 3-4 times a week and good food to eat.
6. Sell 1 Million of my leadership books this year. Lofty goal- Jack Canfield calls it a BHAG. (Big Harry Audacious Goal.) It’s been done by others before- I know we can do it too.
7. Get sponsorship for my radio show so we can syndicate online, go back to terrestrial radio and be on sattelite radio.

8. Sell at least 100,000 copies this year of my ‘Repairing the Reprobate Mind’ book

9. To go back into the music studio, re-release our first album called “Feel the Heat” and sell.

10. Finish recording our second album and release that next year.

11. Have enough sales from both the books and the albums/CD’s to have major publishers pick them up for more mass distribution and promotion.

12. Create a way to travel, speak, perform our music, get paid handsomely for it- and along the way, use what we write about to inspire, teach, lead a show others that they can do the same as well.

Last: My “BiG Fat Juicy” – a term I teach about- to close out 2010 with all my businesses feeding the profit pipeline to reach my ‘comfort level financial goals’ by working smarter, not harder. This will allow more time for play: ie: back on stage with the band, riding my motorcycle, playing with the kids, travelling, and finally builing my custom home on a big plot of land I’ve identified.

Here’s to 2010 and enjoying the celebration of many ‘Big Fat Juicy’s’!